e-news Friday 18th June 2021
In these days as it gets colder as we get closer to the Winter Solstice I sometimes envy those animals that hibernate for the winter! Wouldn’t it be nice to have a long sleep through these cold rainy days and wake up in the Spring? But no such luck! However we did manage a holiday break with a week in Hawke’s Bay in a lovely farm house. It was good to have time to read and sit in the sun (yes the sun did shine) and go for the occasional walk across the farm. And we did manage a few meals out in the “big smoke” of Waipukurau! We then went to Rotorua for a few days and had a walk in the Redwood Forest plus two walks up in the trees on an amazing hanging walkway high off the ground. We went back at night to do the same walk and saw the hanging lanterns made from wood and suspended from the trees. Very creative. One day we indulged by having a hot pool and massage.
It was lovely. It reminded me to listen to what my body was telling me and to take time to relax. In winter we all slow down – some trees drop their leaves, the garden slows down (except for the weeds!) and the weather often slows traffic down too.
Joy Cowley in her lovely poem “Sacrament of the Seasons” concludes with these words:
Jesus comes to me as a winter tree
and I receive him as a winter tree.
Gentle the cross and gentle the snow,
gentle the path where he and I go,
carrying the buds of spring.
It’s a reminder to us to be gentle with ourselves and with each other in these cold and sometimes anxious days – and to take time to let the buds of spring form in us.
On Sunday we will continue our journey through Mark’s Gospel – the story of “The Stilling of the Storm” may just have a few insights for all of us.
Look after yourselves and each other – nourish friendships with shared meals and nourish your minds with a good book or a good film or a good concert. See you Sunday.
Jim
To view the full e-news click here: https://mailchi.mp/de09fddead1e/this-weeks-newsletter-from-st-andrews-on-the-terrace-4757514
